Hidden Gems to Sinking Cities: The Local Consequences of UNESCO World Heritage Site Management

Research reveals that UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS) designation, while beneficial globally, often leads to the exclusion of local communities from economic participation due to tourism management policies. A longitudinal case study comparing Angkor Archaeological Park in Cambodia and Machu Picchu in Peru over 20 years found that as tourism intensifies, local management practices actively marginalize communities, contributing to issues like overtourism and 'UNESCO-cide.' The study maps the evolution of site management phases and UNESCO's prioritized concerns, highlighting the unintended consequences of heritage designation on local economies.

Nunez Ludeiro, Flavia. (2026). HIDDEN GEMS TO SINKING CITIES: THE LOCAL CONSEQUENCES OF UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE MANAGEMENT. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries. https://doi.org/10.17615/1C8M-3Q21